Shadyside Church of Christ Jeffrey Kent

It is a good thing for us all to be reminded that everyone who is saved is saved by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  His grace is amazing, but it's also outrageous.  That God would offer forgiveness and a place in His eternal kingdom to the vilest of sinners is an incredible thing.  But such is the outrage of grace.

The church is called by its Lord to do good works. But the church should beware of getting so involved in doing good works of all kinds that it forgets the primary purpose and mission which Jesus has given to it. And that would be to proclaim the gospel to a lost world. Many groups and agencies do good works, but only the church has the gospel to share.

By and large, people do not understand love as God does. The world sees love as a warm feeling which, in turn, doesn't want to hurt the feelings of others. God says: I love you just the way you are, but I love you too much to let you stay that way. God has our best interests at heart - our eternal interests. Problem is - too many people choose to ignore their eternal interests.

Long ago, Job wondered that if a person died would they live again.  Resurrection of the dead is difficult to believe in.  It just goes against the reality which we know.  Even some of those present on the very day of Jesus' resurrection would not believe it happened.  Yet, others rejoiced that Jesus was alive again.  Eye witnesses reported a risen Jesus.  If their witness is true, this changes everything!  What about you?

We often make the mistake, and it's too often been implied that Christianity is about doing the "big" things, you know - mission trips, seminars, Bible camps, etc. Although these have a place and serve a purpose, we don't see them emphasized in the scriptures. The Spirit spends more instructional ink on the home, family, work and congregation life. What we do in our everyday, boring lives truly matters, both to God and to the people around us.

Regarding faith, Abraham is called "the father of us all" by Paul.  If we consider the many events in his life, we must marvel that he continued to believe in God despite the opposing and contrary circumstances he faced.  What are the key elements of such a faith as Abraham's?